Me and my BFF got together at a nearby Chinese restaurant where the service is with a scowl but the food is cheap and plentiful and scoured ROYCE' catalogue. Usually after eating mountains of food, I don't even want to look at food. But I must admit, there photographs are tempting. We finally decided on the limited edition ones--ROYCE cappuccino cookies, ROYCE kids choco bolo (white), chocolate wafers (teramisu creme) and potato chip chocolate (fromage blanc). Arrival March 9 and will report to you as soon as we get our hands on them.

today, the white day catalogue 2009 arrived! cant wait to see what special chocs they are going to sell!


ROYCE' White Day Catalogue 2009

ROYCE' White Day Catalogue 2009

Bridge Asia Foundation celebrated the 22nd Lunar Year on February 22, 2009 at the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. I was told that 1,500 students attended. International Students, their family and friends attended this buffet reception for free! They had 4-6 types of pasta, 2 types of curry, inari sushi, kappa maki, kanpyo maki, waffles, 3 types of ice cream, salads and sandwiches. The students from different countries sang songs and danced. Pictured here are students doing Okinawa dance. I really enjoyed the Papua New Guinea dancing too.

Oh yeah, we also say that February 22 is "Cat Day"--nya, nya, nya (meow, meow, meow) (=^. .^=)


Bridge Asia Foundation's 22nd New Year's Party

Though it says bitter, actually it is not as bitter as you think. Actually this is a very smooth chocolate with aroma of Hennessey Brandy VSOP. ROYCE' made this chocolate less sweet than the others and it is dangerous because you can eat the whole box in one sitting! v(*'-^*)-ok!!


ROYCE' Nama Chocolate Bitter

This is one of my fav Japanese cartoon characters, Zenmai Zamurai (windup samurai) which is aired on NHK. According to the story, he died and is brought back alive but the hitch is that it is with a windup key on his head. If he comnpletely unwinds then he dies again. (yuck, if you ask me...) He lives in Zenmai village and is a hero that fights evil with his dango sword. (His dango is three different colored balls of rice dumplings on a skewer) The balls fly off his sword and pop into the mouth of the bad guys and they start thinking nice thoughts and stop their evil ways. Then, a rainbow appears and the key on his head is wound up again to prolong his life. My little toy has him wiping down the floor. But look at him in action on our video cleaning the floor of the fish tank. I wonder if the fish will give him a tip


ZenmaiZamurai

Zenmai Zamurai is cleaning the bottom of the fish tank!

Yamazaki sherry wood is a dark chocolate. This whisky is made by Suntory and the alcohol content is over 40% and is made in limited quantities. The sherry wood is strong and almost like a whisky bonbon but it is blended in the nama
chocolate. This time, we did a tasting with 8 people between Hakushu and Yamazaki and we all agreed Yamazaki was better. The main reason was that the Hakushu ratio killed the taste of the white chocolate. Delivery January 10-February 14, 2009


Yamazaki Sheery Wood Nama chocolate

Hakushu single malt whisky is a nama white chocolate with whisky from Suntory blended in the chocolate itself. The Hakushu was aged for 18 years in Yamanashi Prefecture. Unlike au lait, this one has a strong whisky fragrance even without opening the package. Definitely not for anyone under age. Delivery January 10-February 14, 2009 :


Hakushu Nama Chocolate

Saw on ROYCE's website that they were having a special corner at Parco department store in Chofu for Valentine's Day, so I went to stock up on any chocs that I hadn't purchased. Got there and on the first floor in front of the elevator was a small event space which was selling chocolates from different companies. ROYCE' had the best space. Right facing the main door of the department store. All the booths were small and so was ROYCE'. The main item that they were selling was the potato chip chocolates and they were selling out like crazy! There was only a small collection about 6-7 so I only saw only one choc that I haven't purchased before. This is what the event space looked like. (^ 3 ^) =33 PHEW!


Chofu Parco V-day event

What, you may ask, in the world are potato chip chocolateActually that was my first impression of this product even when I opened the package. However, ROYCE's staff created another superb item! The potato chips are not slivers but thicker slabs and they are coated on one side with chocolate. Actually after tasting this, I tried to DIY, by buying potato chips and dipping them in chocolate but it is NOT the same. The saltiness of the tater chips and the sweetness of the chocolate match perfectly. Just a word of note, you won't be able find that many whole chips or maybe it just settled during delivery. This is a must try!

v(*'-^*)-great!!


ROYCE' POTATOCHIP CHOCOLATE1 ROYCE' POTATOCHIP CHOCOLATE2

ROYCE' POTATOCHIP CHOCOLATE

This gold box of have 4 squares each of 8 types chocolates, each with cacao of different origins and different percentages of cacao. So you will be able to taste the difference with each piece. It is a learning experience and you can travel the world with this one box.
1) White 33% Actually I am not much of a white chocolate fan so I am a bit bias and most white chocolate has a waxen feel in my mouth. ROYCE's 33% white chocolate reminds me of sweetened condensed milk sans the waxen feel. But my BFF who loves white chocolate said that the cocoa butter aroma that lingers in while the chocolate melts in your mouth is irresistable.
2) Madagascar 34% There must be a reason why Madagascar cacao was used for the 34%. I think it must be to bring out the fruitiness (cherry-like) aroma of the cacao used. This is close to white chocolate but very good even with just one percent more of cacao compared to the white 33%.
3) Ivory Coast 37% Ivory Coast cacao is famous through and through. This square of chocolate is delightful! The moment you place it in your mouth you get a nutty orange aroma. Is that only me? This is a chocolate that anyone would like.
4) Carenero 42% This is made from Venezuela's Carenero Superior cacao. It has a fruity nutty flavor. Delicious! Definitely this is my fav of the whole box.
5) Ecuador 48% Intense chocolate flavor and one piece can take to you heaven with the f fragrance as it melts in your mouth!
6) Trinidad 59% The West Indies Island Trinidad (of Trinidad Tobago) is just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. It has a bit of bitterness.
7) Maracaibo 66% In Maracaibo, Venezuela this cacao is born. Actually, I liked this better that the Trinidad 59%. It has a bit sour taste. Not that this sour taste is bad, but it actually adds dimension to the cacao.
8) Ghana/Ecuador 80% This is a very bitter chocolate. Usually I cannot eat this bitter of chocolate but this one would be great with coffee.

The choco are separately wrapped and on the back they have the percentage used printed. coool

I would definitely buy this again!


ROYCE' Aroma Chocolate Collection1 ROYCE' Aroma Chocolate Collection2


ROYCE' Aroma Chocolate Collection3 ROYCE' Aroma Chocolate Collection4

Under Tokyo station, there is a sprawling underground shopping mall with almost any shop you can think of. Since the majority of the shinkansen leaves from Tokyo station, along with the regular shops like restaurants, clothes, etc, they have shops selling tokyo souvenirs. Usually, if you go on a biz trip or take a vacation you feel obliged to buy some kind of souvenir for your colleagues usually in the form of sweet manju, chocolates or something you can eat. That is probably why you can see Japanese tourists buying a lot of the same thing especially at duty free or Disneyland.

Directly under Tokyo station is grandsta, where commuters, people on business trips and tourists can buy all sorts of food without ever leaving the station. I arrived around 7pm since they were having a temporary corner which they called season select from January 1-14. ROYCE' staff from Hokkaido was there as shop attendents which meant a large variety of chocolates should be on sale. BINGO! There were 20 types of chocolates including Yamazaki single malt whisky sherry wood and Hakushu, single malt whisky which are both limited edition nama chocolate! However most people were buying potato chip or potechi chocolates. Look at the cute signs they had!


ROYCE_at_tokyo_station1 ROYCE_at_tokyo_station2

Nama chocolate "Au lait with Cherry Marnier" is one of ROYCE's regulars. Using milk chocolate and Hokkaido's fresh cream, chocolate itself is heaven sent. Combine it with Cherry Marnier it lends to a roundness and is very smooth without a bite. You would think that the cherry liqueur would make the chocolate a real cherry, cherry taste but it is very subtle. Not like bon bons at all. The Cherry Marnier liqueur is another of the Marnier-Lapostolle house made from Morello cherries.

(=^ u^)o yum yum


Au lait with Cherry Marnier

Nama chocolate (Grand Marnier) is a limited edition, being sold only in the month of February. It is the perfect blend milk chocolate and Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier is an a liqueur which is made from orange essences of citrus bigaradia oranges and French cognac made from grapes in the Cognac regions- Grand and Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and Bon Bois. Many times chocolates with Grand Marnier are imbalanced- the chocolate is too strong or the "orange" aroma is overpowering and kills the bouquet of the chocolate. This ROYCE' chocolate is smooth all the way.

(o^-^o) nice!


Grand Marnier1

This regular Nama chocolate is a beautiful harmony of Champagne Pierre Mignon and raw milk chocolate. The house that makes the Champagne Pierre Mignon is situated on 14 hectares in the Marne Valley, France and they make this fruity bubbly using the grape varieties Pinot Meunier (60%) Chardonnay (30%) and Pinot Noir (10%). It is said that Champagne Pierre Mignon is drunken at the Palace of Elysee and in French embassies around the world. Where Nama chocolates tend to be a rich taste, I think the champagne gives the milk chocolate a subtle delicate flowery aftertaste!

ROYCE' loves this champagne so much that they even sell the 375ml and 750ml bottles, plus a Pierre Mignon half bottle set with chocolates.


Champagne Pierre Mignon

Hi! I have started a table with a list of ROYCE' chocolates. In it, I wrote what chocolates etc. that ROYCE' has online. www.e-royce.com (I MAY be missing a bit and my translation of the names may be wrong) My immediate goal is to conquer all the chocs I can and up them on my blog! Also, I have added MY personal ranking to all the chocs that I have tasted and when I blogged. There is also the ROYCE's ranking list. Please click ROYCE' LINEUP that says ROYCE' LINEUP see how my savory progress!

The ingredients for chocolate is cacao and similar to wine, depending on the bean variety, country of origin, the soil which the cacao tree was grown, fermentation, dried and conched can make a difference in its palate.
The scientific name of cacao is theobroma cacao and theobroma which is the genus meansfood of the gods. The cacao bean is the seed of the fruit. These seeds are dried and roasted so that they have be formed into cocoa. The tree is grown in what is called the cocoa belt around 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south latitude. High temperatures are the best for the cocoa plant with a maximum of 30-32 degrees C average. Rainfall and humidity is very important for the cultivation of the cacao tree. Annual rainfall between 1,500-2,000 mm which is distributed throughout the year is preferable.

Cacao is produced around the world however the leading countries are Cote de Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Papua New Guinea

The cacao tree is divided into the Criollos species, Forastero species, two species and the Trinitaro species. Until the middle of the 1700s Criollos was predominant in the cocoa market . It means native and is the original cacao consumed by the Maya. Criollos species are high-quality beans and have a distinctive mild flavor. However, it is difficult to grow and the yield is not high.

The most cultivated species in the world is the Forastero species because its resistance to disease and higher yielding than criollos. It accounts for approximately 90% of the world's cacao crop. Forastero which means “foreign” is characterized by a strong bitter cocoa flavor and considered a bulk cacao however it adds desirable elements when blended.

Trinitaro is a hybrid between the Crillo and the Forastero. Its palnting started in Trinidad (hence its name) in around 1730 and spread to Venezula, Ecuador, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea among other countries. It inherited characteristics of each species making it a good blend of all the desired qualities and is hardy like the forastero. Most of the varieties grown in the world are derived from these 3 species.

Check this out! This is LIMITED EDITION too! Was being sold Jan. 10-Feb. 14 AND sold out the next day after I purchased them online! So I lucked out. The cookies are made from oatmeal and whole wheat, baked into a crisp cookie then coated one side with chocolate. Inside the box are separately packed 8 cookies. According to the ROYCE website it has a light crunchy feel to them but actually, I think that the cookie itself had a density like McVities and the chocolate was a bit sweet. But saying this, this salty sweet taste would be a good match with some tea with milk!

Package size: H12 cm x W11.5 1 Box 578 yen


Kids Graham cookies photo1 Kids Graham cookies photo2


Kids Graham cookies photo3 Kids Graham cookies photo4

This NAMA chocolate is one of the regulars contains no alcohol and is a chocolate made with lots of fresh cream making it a milk chocolate that melts into your mouth giving you that cacao aroma. A thick dusting of cacao surrounds the 20 squares of precut chocolates. As I was writing this blog I had eaten a few without realizing it....
( *^ ^ *) /




Mild Cacao (Liqueur Free)2 Mild Cacao (Liqueur Free)3

Rode my bicycle 30 minutes in the freezing cold to Kichijoji. Living in the burbs of Tokyo and far from the station, I could always take the car or take a bus to the station but I was trying to be green and at the same time, finding parking space is such a pain. My main purpose was to go buy chocolates at Kichijoji LOFT since they were having a Valentine's chocolate space made up and there was a special ROYCE chocolate corner. (o^-')b GREAT!


ROYCE' chocolates corner1 ROYCE' chocolates corner2


ROYCE' chocolates corner3

Rode up the escalator at Kichijoji LOFT to the 2nd floor and right at the top was the what they call they "special exhibition for Valentine's". They used about 1/3rd of the total floor to display shelves of an array of chocolates in different sizes and shapes. My first impression was that there wasn't very many customers looking at them, however as I turned, in the center, there are a crowd of shoppers all looking at the same place. ROYCE chocs! They were selling their regular line of products and a few special chocolates such as the NAMA choco which was only being sold in the month of February---NAMA chocolate with Grand Marnier liquor which of course I purchased. I also bought a few boxes of the petite truffles such as the one with orange peel and pralines. Will blog about them all later on!
Bye-Bye!!

As I have previously blogged, in Japan females give men chocolates on Valentine's Day. So around this time, you will be able to see special corners made that sell Valentine's chocolates. Even Royce which only sells in Hokkaido (the northern part of Japan) and at Narita airport AFTER you go through immigration will have special booths to sell their chocolates.

There is a thing called "GIRI" choko. This is literally translated into "dutiful chocolate" where the women give their male colleagues or business partners chocolates even if they have no passionate feelings for them. It is a kind of popularity measurement for the married males who go home and their wives will ask them how many chocolates they have received at the office. Not all of them of course will receive chocolate (ﾉ_-｡) and one of my bosses would go to a "watering hole" where he is a regular so that ladies there will give them a chocolate. I think this GIRI choko tradition is gradually fading and this year a chocolate company is advertising "reversal" chocolate giving on Valentine's day (that is-- the guys give the girls chocs).

1)Because it is NAMA (raw), please take care of temperature!
Approximately 1/4th of the ingredients for nama chocolate is made up of fresh cream along liquors that is why of the many chocolates that are sold, nama chocolate's expiration date is the shortest and quality control is strictest. Because of this, at Royce, refridgeration is well kept at the factory, at the distribution center and at the retail shops and to make sure that freshest products are being sold at their shops. That is why, when nama chocolate are delivered to your home we ask you to immediately place it into the refridgerator. Please protect this delicate nama chocolate at temperatures under 10 degrees C.

2)Please check the expiration date!
With exception to nama chocolate, traditionally chocolate has very little moisture. So as long as the chocolate is well preserved then mold will not grow on it. However, as time passes the smooth taste and distinctive aroma is lost. Furthermore, this loss picks up speed once the package is opened. Royce would like to you to eat their chocolates at the best condition so all the products have expiration date was set at when the product can be eaten at the best. We ask you to please eat our products as soon as possible for any chocolate tastes the best freshly made!

3) We write the best temperatures for each of our products
Chocolate does not like hot temperatures. The characteristic of cocoa butter is that it starts to melt at temperatures around 28 degrees. . And, as temperature rise, whitish crystallization appears on the surface of chocolate. This phenomenom is called 'Sugar Bloom'. Also, if chocolate is transferred from refridgeration to a warm location this sudden change in temperature causes drops of moisture to appear on the surface of the chocolate and the sugar in the chocolate will start to melt. This does not make the chocolate inedible but the appearance is bad and the taste will not be at its best. Please avoid chocolate's arch enemy -humidity and heat and preserve the chocolates as described on the package of each product.

4) We do refrigerated delivery
Royce factory is located in the midst of clean air and water and blessed with abundant nature in Tobetsu, Hokkaido. This environment is similar to the historic chocolate factories in Europe which makes the Royce factory is the best location for making chocolate.

At Royce's e-shop (online shop) freshly made chocolate is delivered directly to you from the factory all in refrigeration. No matter if it is summer or winter, delivery is taken in stable temperatures that is just a bit chilly from the factory to you. That is why we use delivery using refrigeration.. Given the delicate nature of chocolate this is the best choice.

5)Please return the chocolate to almost room temperature prior to consumption
Before you eat Royce chocolate, take the chocolate out of the refrigerator and leave it out for the same amount of time you would prepare a cup tea. The aroma of the cacao will intensify and you will be able to enjoy Royce products. This preparation is similar to the treatment of red wine and wine. A small step so that you can eat Royce chocolate deliciously.

Taken from Royce website http://e-royce.com/corporate/delicious/index.html and roughly translated by me! This is not an official translation!!::

This is a limited edition NAMA chocolate "PRECIOUS" that comes out for a limited time around Valentine's Day and even the cup is made of chocolate and even has 2 spoons which are engraved with ROYCE to come with it. The top layer that is a creamy ivory is a mixture of white chocolate and sweet white wine. The bottom layer uses Italian red wine and nama chocolate. Once you scoop it into your mouth is makes your nostrils enlarge and you can't resist from not saying "MMMMMMMMMM!!!!"

As the container is made of chocolate too and after you finish eating the nama chocolate in the inside, you can shave the container down and heat it with milk to have a luxurious hot cocoa.

It cost 2,940 yen excluding delivery. Delivered only from January 10-February 14. Sold only while it lasts.


Precious1 Precious2

Precious



Precious3 Precious4

inside of Precious

Today is the first business day of February! This is the month for Setsubun and Valentine's day!! Talking about St. Valentine's Day, did you know that in Japan the women give the men chocolate? Also they bring chocolates for their male colleagues. Then on March 14, there is White Day where men RETURN a present (it used to be marshmallows..?!?!?!) to the females who gave it to them. I have already ordered Limited Edition Royce chocolates for my colleagues and also MYSELF!

The first time I had a ROYCE chocolate was when I went to Hokkaido for the snow festival in Sapporo. At Sapporo Chitose airport they were giving out taste samples of ROYCE chocolate and believe me, it was love at first taste. I just wanted to share with you the wonders of ROYCE chocolate and hope that if you ever get to Japan, that you will be able too.